Ilot Brosse - Reef Sharks

Ilot Brosse - Isle of Pines

We set off for the Isle of Pines with a forecast of 15 knots Westerly breezes for a downwind sail, we were zinging along with 20-25 knots but as it started to build we decided to anchor in a sheltered bay on the Ile Ouen and we sat out an afternoon/ night of 30 knot winds. The following day we set off again with more benign South Westerlies and decided to head to one of the smaller outlying islands in the Isle of Pines group, Ilot Brosse. This is an uninhabited island with stunning white sand and incredibly blue surrounding waters. On our way here we caught 3 tuna mack, a good fighting fish but from prior experience they have a very dark flesh which isn't particularly appetising so we practised catch and release…

We went ashore briefly on our arrival, a weather front was passing through and the winds were forecast to drop off and for a sunny day to follow so we saved exploring Ilot Brosse until the following day, fortified with some French wine!

Ile Bailly

Only a few miles further east we had Ile Bailly completely to ourselves overnight.  It is just to the south of 770m Mont Dore which makes a stunning backdrop. A walk ashore the following morning revealed that the island has a lot of invasive (and extremely thorny) prickly pear, and what appeared to be olive trees growing on the very dry slopes inshore of the mangroves. 

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Ile Uere

With Richard now back on board, we headed to Ile Uere to escape the noise and bustle of Noumea and were surprised to have a number of 'empty' dinghies sail slowly and silently past Tintin - in fact helmed by young kids having sailing lessons!

Rum distillery - more images

And bought a bottle of passion-fruit flavoured rum …. also very much enjoyed the green apple,  and mint and cucumber flavours...

Rum distillery

I was very pleased to receive an invitation to visit a rum distillery….

Sitting out W weather at Noumea

Last week brought mostly grey, cool and damp weather from the West, so many of the boats anchored in usually busy Baie D'Orphalinat moved to take shelter off Nouville.  So for a few days I had a (grey) view of the travel-lift and hardstand where I had spent the previous week…. Nonetheless, the 29ers still had lots of fun racing in the harbour - sometimes coming perilously close to Tintin's bow!